The Herstory of the Number 13

Over the centuries, so much of the sacred female has become demonized and made something to fear. The number 13 is another example of this- in Western culture, we have been taught that the number 13 is unlucky, scary, shrouded in evil. So much so that we don’t even have a 13th floor in most sky-rise buildings- have you every seen the number 13 in an elevator? Crazy right? So what’s the deal? What does the number 13 really mean, why was it demonized? And how can we, the Witches of today, reclaim another essential part of our Herstory? This fear is so embedded in our culture; some people actually have a phobia of the number. This is known as paraskevidekatriaphobia- it is estimated that around 10% of the population has this fear. This fear shows up in many of us at times- it can look like not picking the 13th as your wedding day, avoiding booking a flight this day, or even in severe cases, not going to work on this day. Side note, my sweet husband, was actually born on the 13th (a Friday too

Friday the Thirteenth- The Day of the Goddess

Friday the 13th was once considered a day of celebration of the feminine. This was a day to honor the cycle of birth and death and to pay respect to the sacred feminine. Friday is associated with Venus, the beholder of feminine energy. In Western culture, we look forward to Fridays; it is a day to celebrate a hard week of work, a time to unwind, let loose and play! We honor the feminine in this aspect so it’s interesting to see how this association of Friday along with the number 13 has been shrouded in superstition. This year, I chose to take back this beautiful day- I honored Venus and the Goddess archetype. I danced, I played, I sang, and I remembered my connection to nature.

Thirteen Full Moons & Thirteen Menstrual Cycles

Each year we have either 12 or 13 full moons- 2020 (this amazingly awesome year, lol) is one of these beautiful years, having 13 full moons. Women’s deep connection to the natural world is echoed in our wombs, and many women’s mensural cycles are in sync with the waxing and waning of the moon. Thus, many women experience 13 mensural cycles annually. Across history, the mensural cycle has become something dirty, strange, and fearful for many (especially men) who couldn’t understand this beautiful cycle that further embedded the feminine in the mystery of the universe. foreverconsious.com states, “If a woman’s periods are in sync with the cycle of the moon, she will shed her lining on the new moon and ovulate on the full moon. On average, the 13th falls in the middle of the moon cycle and represents the midway point between death and rebirth. The midway point between the new moon, where a woman is shedding (the death), and the full moon, where the woman is ovulating (rebirth). How incredibly beautiful is that?

The Thirteenth Major Arana in the Tarot

The Death card is the 13 Major Arana in the Tarot. For those unfamiliar with each card’s meaning, this is probably the most fear evoking card in the Tarot. Once we learn about this card, we see it as one of the most beautiful and necessary cards in the Major Arcana. Words associated with this card are transformation, change, new beginnings, endings, purge, regeneration, and metamorphosis. As Rachel Pollack states in her book Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom, “without death to clear away the old, nothing new could find a place.” This cycle of death and rebirth is again mimicked in a woman’s womb.

Ideas to Take Back the Number 13

• Create an altar to the Goddess Venus
• Track your moon cycle with that of the moon. If you don’t bleed, you can track your creativity, your emotions, your energy level.
• Carry rose quartz in your bra! How much more Goddess does it get?
• Gather with 13 of your closest Witches and howl at the moon.
• Dance, sing, paint, sculpt, tend to a garden; your creativity and nurturing self will be in a full on spell.
• Meditate or journal on the Death card- ask the universe what you need to know about this card and the cycle of birth and death.
• Go on a nature walk, and collect 13 items that speak to you; place these items on your altar for 13 days.

There are infinite possibilities; I would love to hear what resonates for you.

Drop me a comment below